


The Newcomers on Evergreen Street

by AXEe



Series: The Tereshkova Adventures [2]
Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-11-18
Packaged: 2020-09-29 11:42:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 16,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20435429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AXEe/pseuds/AXEe
Summary: While investigating the disappearance of the U.S.S. Buran, the Tereshkova comes across a planet that at first glance seems peaceful and idyllic...





	1. Hodgkin's Law of Parallel Planetary Development

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! Welcome to the next installment of the adventures of the crew of the U.S.S. Tereshkova! Please enjoy! :=)

******

**Excerpt from the Federation Department of Astrobiology**

First proposed by A.E. Hodgkin in the 22nd century, **Hodgkin’s Law of Parallel Planetary Development** (often abbreviated as **Hodgkin’s Law**), states that planets with similar environments often result in similar forms of life. Much like Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution in the 19th century, Hodgkin’s Law was capable of providing a plausible explanation to the similarities to various life-forms on widely unrelated planets across the galaxy (the outward similarity between the sehlat of Vulcan and various species of bear on Earth, for example).

Hodgkin’s Law also provides an explanation for the wide variety of extremely similar humanoid species, many of which are—externally—nearly-identical to Humans.

By the dawn of the 23rd century, an addendum to Hodgkin’s Law had been proposed, which stated that the law might also be applied to sociological and political development. Many species discovered by the Federation share similarities in the development of legal systems, governments, language, and technology.

In some extreme cases—described by U.S.S. _Enterprise_ First Officer Spock as _‘virtually impossible’_—a planet’s culture can develop a society and culture identical to that found on another planet. Several examples of these ‘extreme cases’ were encountered by the crew of the U.S.S. _Enterprise_ in the 2260s.

**KNOWN CASES OF EXTREME EXAMPLES OF HODGKIN’S LAW**

**Omega IV:** Prior to the 23rd century the inhabitants of this world developed identical parallels to Earth’s United States and the communist governments of Asia in the mid-20th century. Unlike on Earth however, on this world, the conflict between the two power blocs erupted into a violent war that culminated in the use of biological weapons, which resulted in both sides collapsing to primitive tribal societies with only vague, fragmentary memories of their former glory.

**892-IV:** Possessing a similar land-to-ocean ratio to Earth, the inhabitants of this planet—in what is possibly one of the most extreme cases of Hodgkin’s Law—developed a society remarkably similar to Earth’s Roman Empire which endured to reach a technological level equivalent to 20th century Earth, even speaking 20th century English. They also developed an equivalent to Christianity, as exemplified by a religious cult known as the ‘Children of the Son’, whose pacifistic teachings threatened the conservative attitudes of ‘Roman Empire’.

**“Miri’s World’:** Unique in the annuals of planetary development, this planet is identical to Earth, possessing the same mass, density, circumference, atmosphere, flora, and fauna, even an identical topography. The inhabitants were identical to Humans and had even reached a technological level equivalent to the United States in the 1960s, with some exceptions, most notably their knowledge of genetic engineering and microbiology were much more advanced than Earth at that period, possibly equivalent to Earth during the Eugenic Wars. The inhabitants of 'Miri’s World’ had embarked on a program to prolong their lifespan. Unfortunately the program resulted in the violent death of every adult past puberty and left the surviving children with extremely long lifespans—measuring into the hundreds of years—however, upon reaching puberty, the ‘Onlies’—as the children referred to themselves—would succumb to the disease.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Episodes referenced: "Miri", "The Omega Glory", "Bread and Circuses"


	2. Negotiations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter TWO! Enjoy! :=)

******

The audience chamber was massive, towering at least three stories above the floor, the curved walls adding to the impression of grandeur. Standing on a low pedestal at the very bottom of the chamber, the Starfleet officer craned her head as far back as she could as she addressed the council high above her.

“Esteemed representatives of the Teenaxi Delegation,” she began, her voice echoing around the chamber “my name is Helena Verne, Captain of the Federation starship _Tereshkova_, representing the United Federation of Planets. I am here before you today as a neutral intermediary to act on behalf of the Febonian Republic and bring to you an offer of peace and trust,” she held up the small box in her hands “it is the hope of the Febonians that, by accepting this gift, a new era of peace and cooperation can began between your two worlds”

The council members above her were silent for a moment.

“Well, what’s wrong with it?” one suddenly demanded.

Helena blinked.

“I’m sorry?” she asked.

“Why don’t they want it anymore?” the council leader asked.

“In the Fibonian culture, offering an object such as this is considered a sign of great respect” Helena quickly explained.

“What is it anyway?” another council member asked.

Helena cringed.

“It is a _fragment_ of a once-powerful weapon,” she explained, emphasizing the word ‘fragment’.

“A weapon?!” the council leader exclaimed “then the Fibonians _do_ want to destroy us!!”

“No, no,” Helena urged, feeling the proverbial ground slipping away from under her “please, the Fibonians are just as tired of war and conflict as I’m sure you are,” she hurried to explain “they want to put an end to the bad blood between your two worlds”

“They want to put an end to _us_ you mean!” the council leader proclaimed “you don’t know them like we do, Federation! They are all liars! Liars and thieves! They want nothing more than see us all dead and burned in our beds as we sleep!”

“Please, that is not true” Helena tried, only to be cut off as the leader continued his tirade.

“Why did you come here?!” he demanded “are you working for them?! Have the Fibonians made a deal with the Federation to eradicate us?!!” he roared.

Not waiting for an answer, he suddenly leapt off the platform, his curved, armadillo-like form easily rolling into a tight compact ball as he sped down the curved walls of the chamber—their true purpose now clear—barreling towards Helena with a tremendous amount of speed to violently hit her square in the chest, knocking her off her feet to land flat on her back.

Standing atop her chest, the Teenaxi wasn’t as intimidating as his booming voice had made him seem. In truth, he—like the rest of his species—was only about thirteen and a half inches tall. Despite his less-than-impressive size, he gave a defiant roar as he leapt up again, lunging for Helena’s head.

Gasping, she awkwardly rolled out of the way, the enraged, pint-sized alien only getting a few strands of her hair. Triumphantly holding up the strands of hair like a trophy, he let out another roar.

“_**TO WAR!!!!!**_” he bellowed, the other delegates roaring in response as they too leapt down at Helena.

“Shit,” she muttered, frantically getting to her feet and sprinting across the chamber floor, frantically fumbling for her communicator “Verne to _Tereshkova_! Emergency beam out!” she bellowed into it “get me out of here!!!”

“_Stand by_”

“I can’t!” Helena urged as she found herself trapped, pressed against a wall as the entire council—all compacted into balls—thundered towards her like a tidal wave. In any other circumstance it would have seemed silly, downright comical even, but they could easily crush her to death she knew.

Just then the familiar tingle of a transporter locked onto her and the sight of impending death disappeared in a haze of gold to be replaced with the interior of the _Tereshkova’s_ transporter room.

“Captain,” the transporter chief exclaimed as he took in her disheveled appearance “what happened?”

Letting out a breath, Helena fingered the torn sleeve of her uniform, now dangling off her arm.

“Let’s just say that the negotiations didn’t go as planned,” she explained. Realizing that she was still holding the box with the Fibonians’ peace offering, she lightly tossed it to him “give that to Commissioner DeSalle would you?” she instructed “and tell him that I _don’t_ think that the Teenaxi Delegation are ready for Federation membership” she added as she stepped out of the room…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you think that the opening sounds familiar that's because its borrowed from the opening to "Star Trek Beyond" the third in the Abrams-verse films, and--in my opinion--the one that most captures that Star Trek feeling, probably because it _wasn't_ directed by Abrams


	3. Assignments

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter THREE! Enjoy!

******

Stepping out of the sonic shower, Helena pulled a face at her reflection in the mirror of her _very small_ bathroom. Stepping out into her only-slightly-bigger quarters, she recycled her torn uniform tunic, adding the trousers and boots for good measure, before wordlessly instructing the recycler to create her a new uniform.

Smiling in satisfaction as her new uniform slid out of the drawer, she pulled it out and held up the tunic, giving it a shake to dispel the static cling. She had just fastened up her trousers when the comm chirped.

“_Bridge to Captain Verne_”

Grumbling as she wriggled her left foot into the boot, she hobbled over to the desk set against the wall, flicking the switch.

“Verne here” she replied as she gave up on the boot for the moment and slipped on the tunic, realizing seconds later that it was backwards.

“_Priority message from Starfleet Command, Captain, priority one call from Commodore DuBois_”

“All right,” Helena grunted out as she straightened her tunic “put it through,” smoothing out the wrinkles she sat down as the viewscreen lit up “Commodore” she greeted.

“_Captain Verne_” Commodore DuBois greeted.

“What can I do for you?” Helena asked.

“_I’m afraid this isn’t a personal call, Helena,_” the Commodore sighed “_we’ve just received a distress call from the U.S.S._ Buran” she explained.

“The _Buran_…,” Helena frowned “I’m afraid I don’t know it off the top of my head”

“_The relevant data’s being transmitted to you as we speak,_” the Commodore explained “_long story short, they were supervising an anthropological study of a pre-warp society orbiting the star GH-42-459 for the last three months_”

“So, what went wrong?” Helena wondered “I can’t imagine how a pre-warp society, even a space-capable one, could endanger an entire starship”

“_That’s what you’re going to find out,_” the Commodore explained “_time is of the essence, we first received their distress call a little over an hour ago, but owing to the distances involved it was actually sent over two days ago,_” she sighed tiredly “_normally we’d send another ship, like the_ Enterprise_, but owing to the circumstances it would take them a week at maximum warp to reach the area. But…_” she trailed off.

“The _Tereshkova_ can make it there in a flash” Helena nodded along.

“_You’re authorized to use the spore drive however you see fit for the duration of this mission,_” the Commodore confirmed “_you leave as soon as you’re ready. Good luck, Helena, DuBois out_”

The viewscreen went dark.

Pursing her lips, Helena turned and studied the figure lying on her bunk. Reaching out, she flicked a lock of Kira Danvers’ blonde hair.

“Up you get,” she said, earning a grumble from the dozing lieutenant “as much as I’m enjoying the sight of you sprawled out on my bunk it’s time to work, Kira” she continued

“Tyrant,” the young helmsman muttered as she straightened her glasses “and I wouldn’t be so tired if the Teenaxi hadn’t decided to dive-bomb us” she added.

“Don’t blame me,” Helena chuckled “I did my job, they’re the ones who rejected the peace offering,” she pointed out “now, go on, get” she chuckled…

******

Stepping out onto the bridge, Helena took a breath.

“Can I have your attention, please?” she called “a few minutes ago, I received a priority one call from Commodore DuBois. As of this moment, we’ve just been ordered to the GH-42 system to investigate a distress call from the U.S.S. _Buran_,” she explained “Lt. Airiam, the relevant data from their mission should already be in your terminal,” she explained.

As Lt. Airiam checked her console and then nodded, Helena turned to the bridge at large again.

“In order to reach the system, we’ve been given full discretion to use the spore drive for the duration of this mission,” she continued “Lt. Airiam, transfer the coordinates to the helm”

“Coordinates transferred”

“Got them” Kira confirmed.

“All right,” Helena sighed as she slowly eased herself down into her chair “let’s do this. Bridge to engineering, ready the spore drive”

“_Engineering here, aye_”

“Condition blue” Helena called, the lights immediately dimming as blue alert lights flashed, klaxons blaring out as the bridge burst into a flurry of activity.

“_Blue alert,_” the computer announced “_blue alert. All decks, set condition blue_”

“Disengaging shields”

“Transferring warp power to structural integrity”

“Engineering reports that the warp core has been powered down and that the spore drive is primed and ready, Captain” Lt. Airiam announced

“Coordinates set. We’re ready to jump at your command, Captain” Kira announced.

Straightening her back, Helena set her jaw.

“Go” she ordered.

“Engaging jump protocol”

Crackling tendrils of energy erupted from the hull of the _Tereshkova_ to surround the ship, the space around the vessel distorting as the ship seemed to collapse in on itself in a brilliant flash of blue light…

******

In another brilliant flash, the _Tereshkova_ reappeared in orbit of the large, lifeless and barren moon of the fourth planet orbiting the star GH-42-459, crossing a distance that at maximum warp would take a week to achieve in less than a second.

Letting out a breath, Helena barked out a half-laugh.

“Oh, that will _never_ get old,” she grinned “status report”

“We’ve successfully cleared the jump and are now in a stable orbit over GH-42-459 IV” Lt. Airiam reported

“Captain, I’m picking up an object directly ahead,” the navigator—a large rabbit-like alien, who’s name Helena couldn’t remember at the moment—reported “it could be a ship” he added.

“It could be the _Buran_,” Helena realized “on screen”

As the viewscreen lit up, the Constitution-class starship U.S.S. _Buran_ could be seen as it hung adrift in space in orbit of the planet’s moon, having been captured by the moon’s gravity.

Standing up, Helena slowly made her way across the bridge, crossing between the separate helm and navigation consoles to step right up to the viewscreen.

“What’s her status?” she asked.

“Minimal power,” Lt. Airiam began “no life-support”

“Life-signs?” Helena asked.

“None”

“They might have gotten off,” Kira suggested, turning to her console “oh…no, wait, I’m not detecting any signs that escape pods were launched” she continued.

“Break out a set of EV suits,” Helena began “Lt. Airiam, join me and Dr. T’Mir in the transporter room,” she continued, already halfway to the turbolift “Lt. Blackwood, you have the bridge,” she instructed “no scratches” she added as the turbolift doors slid shut…

******

Rematerializing on the bridge of the _Buran_, Helena looked around, hearing her breathing echo around inside her helmet as she took in the empty room.

“_Airiam, see if you can restore life-support,_” Helena ordered “_I’ll pull the datatapes,_” she continued “_Dr. T’Mir, see if you access the ship’s medical logs_”

As the other two women went about their duties, Helena found and studied the main science station, noting that it was undamaged. In fact, the entire bridge itself seemed undamaged she noted as the lights came on.

“Life-support restored, Captain” Lt. Airiam announced, already removing her helmet.

“Good,” Helena groaned as she quickly pulled off her own helmet “now, let’s see what happened here,” pulling one glove off, she found and slid a datatape into the console, finding and pulling up the most recent log entry.

“_Captain’s Log, stardate 032269.12,_” a man’s voice began echoing through the room “_Dr. Lincoln has reported that the inhabitants of GH-42-459 IV have reached a sociological level equivalent to Earth during the 1950s, with similar fashions and aesthetics, and unfortunately, similar prejudices. My First Officer was denied entry into a restaurant owing to the color of her skin_”

“Nothing out of the ordinary there” Helena noted as the next log entry played.

“_Captain’s Log, stardate 032269.15: First Officer Burnham has reported being involved in some sort of altercation on the planet’s surface. Security Chief Landry has suggested recalling all observation teams until further notice_”

“Curious,” Dr. T’Mir noted “I can find no evidence in the ship’s medical database of the first officer sustaining any injuries”

“Why would it be noted in the captain’s log, but not the CMO’s?” Helena wondered as she switched out the datatape.

“_Captain’s Log, stardate 032269.15: First Officer Burnham…Burnham is dead! Those bastards killed her! Those fucking bastards killed her! Just because she looked different from them!_”

“OK,” Helena sat back “now _that’s_ worrisome,” she realized as she cued the comlink on her EV suit “Verne to _Tereshkova_, beam us back, and then send a repair team over”

“_Aye, Captain, stand by_”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Buran" loosely translates into "snowstorm" in Russian and in the early-1990s, it was the name of a program by the Soviet Union to create their own space shuttle (which looked almost identical to the U.S.'s), but the program never got off the ground (pun intended :=) due to the collapse of the USSR. The only flight-worthy orbiter was stored in a hanger in modern day Kazakhstan until it was destroyed during a storm in 2002 which destroyed the hanger and the orbiter as well as killing several workers. A test mockup of the orbiter is on display at a musem in Germany


	4. Contamination

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter FOUR! Enjoy! :=)

******

_“Captain’s Log: Preliminary analysis of the_ Buran _indicates that the ship was crippled by a severe meteor collision, although how interstellar debris could have penetrated the ship’s deflector shields currently remains a mystery. Our efforts to scan the planet’s surface for the ship’s missing crew or attempt to contact them are being hampered by an unusual type of radiation emanating from a nebula on the outer edge of this star system which is limiting the resolution and range of both our sensors and our communications. In the meantime, I’ve been reviewing the datatapes from the_ Buran’s_ mission to try and find any clue as to the disappearance of the crew”_

******

Leaning back in her chair with a tired groan, Helena rubbed at her eyes as she stared, unseeing, at the ceiling of her ready room. The inhabitants of GH-42-459 IV referred to themselves as ‘Ven’ta’ and, externally, resembled Humans almost exactly. From an anthropological standpoint they were at a developmental level equivalent to Earth during the early-1950s, right after the end of the Second World War and after the development of humanity’s first atomic weapon. And indeed, the Ven’ta were in a similar set of circumstances, the development of what they called ‘sun bombs’ had defused a war brewing in the planet’s northwestern continent over control of a holy city, but although all-out war had been prevented, it appeared that the development of their planet’s first nuclear weapons had only intensified the sociopolitical tensions that had underline the growing conflict.

A political movement calling themselves the ‘unionists’—apparently equivalent to the various communist groups that had developed on Earth during the same time period—were now waging a series of guerrilla wars in and around the holy city. The nation-state known as the Kin’shy Republic—which had developed the sun bomb—had apparently been sending troops over to fight the Unionist forces in the holy city, resulting in growing civil unrest back home, not unlike the events surrounding the Vietnam War on Earth.

The Kin’shy Republic was, currently, the planet’s sole superpower and had been the focus of the anthropological study. It possessed a fairly tolerant culture, although the field notes taken by the group’s lead observer, Dr. Lincoln, had revealed racial prejudice based upon skin color. Individuals who possessed ‘Caucasian’ skin tone were subject to segregation by the majority who, from a Human standpoint, appeared as ‘black’, not unlike the pre-Civil Rights-era United States.

Another fact of note, was the planet’s general attitude towards gender, in most of the planet’s twenty-three separate nation-states women were seen as superior to men, and Dr. Lincoln’s field notes were full of literature from the planet that depicted the male gender as inferior to the female gender, men on the planet were relegated to the domestic sphere and childrearing and appeared to live under an unspoken rule that they were to be seen but not heard.

Rubbing at her stiff neck, Helena inserted another datatape into her desktop monitor, the duotronic banks whirring and clicking away for a moment before the viewscreen lit, a recorded news broadcast playing. Rendered in black-and-white, it depicted what were clearly fully-armed troops charging towards their enemy through a thick haze of smoke.

“_…in the Holy City today, valiant Republic troops pushed the Unionists back from the city’s Left Quarter,_” the newscaster announced in an artificially ‘cheery’ tone no doubt meant to bolster morale and induce feelings of patriotism in those listening.

“_At home, in our great nation’s capital, protesters of the growing ‘equalist’ movement, gathered outside the Chancellor’s Residence,_” the newscaster continued as the image changed from one of war to one of a large group gathered outside a grand building “_shouting slogans and chants, they argued, once again, for the right of men to vote and hold political office, as well as those of non-color to be granted equal rights. The protesters were met with swift resistance_”

Helena grimaced as she watched as armed troops swiftly blasted the protesters with water cannons, while those who managed to remain upright were swiftly beaten down by baton-wielding riot troops. Shutting off the viewscreen, Helena ejected the datatape.

“Computer” she called.

“_Ready_”

“Access Federation historical database,” she instructed “subsection, Earth history”

“_Working…database accessed_”

“Hypothetical situation,” Helena began “Earth, United States, Civil Rights era. Project the possible sociopolitical impact that would occur to the planet’s population if extraterrestrial contact had occurred in that timeframe”

“_Working…_” the computer was silent for a long moment, save for the whirring of its memory banks “_projection complete_”

“Display projection”

“_Possible outcome from extraterrestrial contact with Earth during specified date would most likely result in wide-spread fear and hysteria,_” the computer began “_then-current geopolitical tensions between the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics would increase, possibly leading to the outbreak of war between the two powers, possibly culminating in societal breakdown and/or the use of nuclear weapons_”

Helena frowned.

“And this would happen regardless of whether the United States or the Soviet Union made first contact?” she asked.

“_Correct_”

“What if extraterrestrial contact was accidental?” she suggested “say, because of a crash-landing?”

“_Working…prelisted sociopolitical events would still occur with minor differences_”

“List differences”

“_Extraterrestrial visitors may be taken into custody by governmental authorities,_” the computer began “_if such an event occurred, there is exists the possibility that said governmental authorities may attempt to suppress knowledge of extra-planetary contact to avoid causing panic_”

“They might try to cover it up” Helena concluded.

“_Correct,_” the computer stated “_there also exists the possibility that contact between planetary population and extra-planetary visitors would occur on an individual basis, thus temporarily limiting knowledge from reaching wider population_” it concluded.

Helena sat back in her chair, frowning. Assuming that the _Buran’s_ crew _had_ escaped the ship before it went down and _had_ managed to beam down to the surface, they would most likely try to remain hidden, but that could change, an accidental discovery, an injury, sickness, there were all sorts of factors that could lead to the _Buran’s_ crew being exposed as aliens to the planet’s population, irrevocably contaminating the planet’s culture as well as putting the lives of those four hundred men and women at risk if someone became frightened and lashed out.

She was jolted out of her thoughts as the ship suddenly violently lurched.

“_Red alert! Captain to the bridge!_”


	5. A Rock and A Hard Place

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update! Chapter FIVE! Enjoy! :=)

******

“Report!” Helena barked out as she marched out of her ready room and onto the bridge.

“Hull breach! Deck four,” Lt. Airiam announced “emergency force fields and bulkheads are in place and holding”

“Hull breach?” Helena repeated, confused “from what?”

“Still determining, Captain”

“Captain,” Kira called “I’m picking up multiple sensor contacts, closing fast,” she reported “they’re meteoroids” she announced.

“Shields up!” Helena ordered as the ship shuddered again as she reached for the controls on her chair’s armrest, the synthesized boatswain’s whistle echoing throughout the ship “all hands, this is the Captain, brace for multiple impacts, clear all outer hull areas immediately”

“Hull impact, secondary hull, no damage to inner hull,” Lt. Airiam announced “Captain, they’re passing right through our shields like they’re not even there” she exclaimed.

“Looks like we found what brought down the _Buran_” Lt. Blackwood commented.

“Let’s try not to join them,” Helena muttered as she was all but thrown into her chair “helm, evasive maneuvers! Pattern lambda-ten!”

“Lambda-ten, aye!” Kira called, fingers flying across the helm controls as the sound of thousands of tiny pieces of interstellar debris began clattering against the hull, echoing throughout the ship as a series of alternating deep, booming thuds and light, intermittent clattering.

“Steady, Kira,” Helena urged “pattern delta-pi-one”

“Pattern delta-pi-one, aye”

“Airiam, shield status?” Helena urged.

“I’m rotating shield frequencies to compensate,” the science officer explained hurriedly “I don’t understand it, they’re not registering on sensors, it’s almost as if the asteroids are composed of _both_ matter and energy” she explained.

“Matter _and_ energy?” Helena repeated as a particularly hard impact nearly threw her to the floor.

“It’s more than that,” Lt. Blackwood called from the tactical station “it’s like these things are following us, like a magnet”

“Asteroids composed of both matter and energy that don’t register on sensors,” Helena murmured “and they’re attracted to us like a magnet,” she frowned “what could do that?” she wondered.

“Dark matter” Kira suddenly exclaimed.

“Damn!” Helena swore “Airiam!” she called “send a metreon particle burst through the main deflector,” she ordered “let’s see what we’re dealing with”

“Aye, Captain” the half-machine officer nodded “sending metron pulse…now”

“On screen”

As the viewscreen lit up a chill went through the bridge crew as they took in the sight of hundreds, if not thousands, of asteroids—now illuminated by the metreon particle burst in shimmering black-blue-purple—tumbling towards the _Tereshkova_.

“The asteroid field extends beyond our sensor range” Airiam announced grimly.

“I’m open to suggestions, people” Helena called to the room at large.

“We power down,” Kira declared “shut down all but the most basic systems to minimize our power signature”

“And then what?” Lt. Blackwood asked “just…hope that they won’t hit us?”

Kira grinned shyly.

“You just leave that to me”

Helena nodded.

“Let’s do it,” she ordered, keying the comm switch on her chair “all hands, this is the Captain, prepare for emergency gray mode,” she announced over the shipwide “go” she nodded.

“Commencing emergency shutdown of all non-essential systems”

Instantly the lights in the bridge dimmed, leaving only the barest of emergency lighting as the room grew noticeably colder.

“Ship is now in emergency gray mode, Captain.” Airiam announced as the room began to subtly, but noticeably, list “we’re now drifting”

Helena took a breath, surprised when she could actually _see_ her breath waft away from her.

“Kira?” she asked “can you do this?”

Kira grinned.

“I learned to fly before I learned how to walk,” she boasted “I can do this” she promised.

“If it doesn’t work, you’re fired,” Helena chuckled “go” she ordered.

Grin widening, Kira turned back to her console.

“Firing aft thrusters” she announced.

Slowly, the _Tereshkova_ lurched forwards, the first mammoth-sized asteroid—easily the size of a small building—growing closer. Fingers flying over the controls, Kira swiftly guided the ship underneath the asteroid without a scratch.

“Obstacle detected at port,” the navigator announced “distance: forty kilometers and closing”

“Firing port thrusters” Kira announced, the ship swinging to the side to avoid the next asteroid.

“_Massive_ object directly ahead” the navigator announced.

On the viewscreen an asteroid that was easily the size of a small continent loomed directly ahead as the _Tereshkova_ shuddered.

“We’re caught in the asteroid’s gravitational field,” Airiam reported “distance: thirty-thousand kilometers and closing”

“Kira?” Helena implored.

“Not yet” the helmsman said.

“Distance: twenty-thousand kilometers and closing” Airiam announced.

“Kira…” Helena urged.

“Not yet” Kira insisted.

“Distance: twelve-hundred kilometers and closing,” Airiam warned “collision is imminent”

The asteroid now dominated the entire viewscreen, blocking out any other object within sensor range.

“Lt. Danvers…” Helena urged.

“Not yet,” Kira warned “and…now. Firing thrusters”

With a sudden jolt, the _Tereshkova_ suddenly swung to the side, the image of the asteroid suddenly and rapidly spinning away from view.

“We’re clear” Airiam announced, the relief in her voice palpable.

“Once the asteroid field’s out of range, restore main power,” Helena ordered “not bad, Kira,” she congratulated “you used the asteroid’s gravity as a slingshot”

Kira blushed.

“Like I said, I learned how to fly before I learned how to walk” she shrugged.

“When this is all over, I owe you a steak dinner” Helena promised.

“Actually, Captain, I’m a vegetarian” Kira explained.

“Then a nice juicy eggplant” Helena chuckled as the lights came back on in full.

“Exiting gray mode, Captain,” Airiam announced “main power coming back on-line”

“All right,” Helena nodded “Kira, put us into a high-orbit over the planet,” she instructed “resume scanning for the _Buran’s_ crew or any other Human life-sign,” she ordered “let’s find those people”


	6. Landing Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter SIX! Enjoy! :=)

******

“Captain”

Helena looked up at the call as she exited her quarters, absently straightening the native clothing she wore in place of her uniform.

“Ah, Kira,” she smiled “come to see me off?” she asked the lieutenant jogged up to her.

“Actually I was hoping to get a spot on the landing party” Kira explained.

“Sorry, all the spots have been filled,” Helena explained “besides, what could you offer?”

“I was raised in a Traditionalist community,” Kira explained “I could help explain some things”

Helena paused, taking the younger woman’s arm and pulling her into a small alcove.

“Kira,” she began “as much as I appreciate your concern, you’re being on the landing party won’t help any. In anything, it’ll only hinder us both” she explained.

“It’s not like Starfleet objects to captain’s dating officers under their command,” Kira objected “only if—”

“…if the relationship begins to interfere with ship’s operations,” Helena interrupted “and what would you call the senior helmsman abandoning her post to join a landing party just because she’s dating the Captain?” she pointed out “especially when there’s a very real risk of those asteroids returning” she added.

Kira sighed dejectedly.

“It’s sweet that you care,” Helena explained “truly, but there’s a limit”

“Just…promise me that you’ll be safe?” Kira pleaded.

Helena smirked as they stepped back into the corridor.

“Always am” she grinned…

******

_“Captain’s Log, supplemental: While repair crews attend to our hull damage, I will be leading a landing party to the planet’s surface. A closer examination of the expedition’s field notes has revealed that Dr. Lincoln and his team had become friendly with the residents of a suburban neighborhood on the outskirts of a major city. While we have no direct confirmation that the survivors of the_ Buran _did beam down, it stands to reason that they might attempt to take shelter in familiar settings. Beaming down with myself are the ship’s CMO, Dr. T’Mir, sociologist Dr. Mark Lindsey, and security officer Townes”_

******

Rematerializing on the planet’s surface, the landing party looked around, surprised at what they found.

“Looks like a Norman Rockwell painting” Dr. Lindsey remarked.

The area they had arrived in was part of a neighborhood called ‘Evergreen Street’, and did indeed resemble a Norman Rockwell painting. The houses lining either side of the street had similar designs with neatly trimmed lawns—the grass having a slighter bluish tint than those found on Earth—while vehicles sat in the driveways. In the distance, what sounded like children laughing and playing could be heard.

“It really does,” Helena agreed, absently holding a hand up to shield her eyes from the sunlight “tricorder readings, Doctors?” she asked.

“No harmful chemicals or bacteria in the soil or water,” Dr. T’Mir announced, her Vulcan ears hidden beneath a decorative headscarf “however, the radiation from the nebula on the outer edge of this star system is hampering the tricorder’s functions,” she added “besides ourselves, I can detect no other Human life-signs within range” she explained.

Helena nodded.

“Dr. Lindsey?” she asked.

“No, same here,” Lindsey shook his head “looks like we’ll have to ask around” he noted grimly.

“Looks like” Helena sighed…


	7. Behind the Curtain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter SEVEN! Enjoy! :=)

******

Entering the neighborhood of ‘Evergreen Street’ proper, Helena was struck by two things. Firstly how much the neighborhood _did_ resemble a Norman Rockwell painting up close, and secondly how most of the people milling about visibly shied away from her and the landing party. Most of the people in this neighborhood appeared as ‘black’ from an outdated Human perspective, while Helena and the rest of the landing party—with the exception of the dark-skinned Dr. T’Mir—appeared as Caucasian, and on this world, those with fair skin were stigmatized.

“Captain” Dr. Lindsey’s voice said quietly. Turning, she watched where he nodded at. A large vehicle—a truck or similar analog—was parked by a neat and tidy looking house. A sign on the house’s front lawn bore a set of illegible alien letting, but from the number of boxes of furniture and other personal effects being unloaded from the vehicle, it most likely said ‘SOLD’.

The family that appeared to be moving into the house consisted of a woman, a man, and two children, both girls. The family all shared the same fair skin, blonde hair and bright eyes, something that the neighbors did not like, if the small gossiping crowd standing across the street watching were any indication.

“Disgraceful,” one woman commented, her arms folded across her chest as her lips twisted in clear disgust “why can’t they just stay in their own neighborhoods where they belong?” she added.

Another woman nodded in agreement.

“Well,” a third woman sighed “there goes the neighborhood”

“Excuse me,” Helena cleared her throat as she approached “I was wondering if you folks could help me?”

The three women turned to look at her, their disgusted expressions not changing in any particular way.

“Yes?” the first woman—presumably the ringleader—asked “what is it?”

“We’re looking for some friends of ours,” Helena began, using her best diplomatic tone and friendliest and most open expression “they said that they were passing through here and had stayed with some friends who lived here” she continued.

The woman nodded towards the new family across the street.

“Them?” she asked.

“No, actually,” Helena replied “but they would’ve been new to the area,” she continued “they might have been dressed a bit strangely. New fashions and all that,” she explained, keeping her expression open “we only ask because we’re worried, the last time we spoke to them there some kind of accident and we’re afraid that somebody may be injured”

The second woman, who had yet to comment, spoke up.

“Were there about maybe four of them?” she asked.

“That sounds about right,” Helena nodded “did you see them?”

“Well, maybe,” the woman nodded “the Ken’t’si family, over there,” she pointed further down the street “they had a sign in the window offering some rooms, some boarders move in yesterday,” she continued “you could try there” she shrugged.

“Thank you,” Helena nodded “we’ll give it a try” she said.

The woman nodded, smiling pleasantly at the landing party as they moved on towards where she indicated.

“I swear Ens’a,” the ringleader sighed “you and the equalist talk is going to get you into trouble one of these days”

******

The house indicated was of medium size, with two stories and what appeared to be an attic space. A neat and well-maintained vehicle was pulling out as the landing party approached, the woman behind the steering wheel glowered at them as she sped off down the street.

“The hospitality of this community leaves much to be desired” Dr. T’Mir noted dryly.

“Doesn’t it though?” Helena chuckled as they stepped upon to the porch.

“Captain,” Dr. T’Mir stopped her “I’m detecting movement at the rear of this domicile” she reported.

“There’s a gate,” Security Officer Townes noted with a shrug, nodding towards the low, narrow wooden gate “maybe we could just jump over?” she shrugged.

“Anybody ever jump any fences when you were young?” Helena asked.

“No” Lindsey said.

“I have not” Dr. T’Mir added.

“Not me” Townes added.

Helena scowled.

“Am I the only one in this party who had an adventurous youth?” she grumbled as she easily vaunted over the low gate, the others following with varying degrees of skill and grace.

“Is there a plan here, Captain?” Lindsey whispered.

“We take a look around,” Helena answered, equally as quiet “if we’re lucky, we find some of the _Buran’s_ crew and beam them out without anyone being the wiser” she explained.

“And if we are not ‘lucky’?” Dr. T’Mir wondered.

“No comment” Helena grumbled; trust it to a Vulcan to point out the flaws in a plan.

Keeping low, the four carefully crept around the rear of the house.

“Captain!” Townes hissed, pointing.

A large, irregularly-shaped hole had recently been dug and then filled in in the house’s backyard. Carefully drawing the type-one phaser at her hip, Helena carefully approached the dirt.

“This is recent,” she noted “something’s been buried here,” reaching out, she brushed aside some of the fresh, moist dirt “here, give me a hand here” she called, the rest of the landing party all crouching down and helping her.

“Shit” Townes swore as a hand was uncovered. Brushing aside more dirt revealed the red sleeve of a Starfleet uniform tunic with an ensign’s strip.

“Don’t move”

The four froze at the voice.

“Stand up, nice and slow,” the voice ordered.

Doing as ordered, they turned around to be confronted by a man in a tattered Starfleet uniform, his rank strips indicated that he was a captain, but it was the phaser he had aimed at them that was the most concerning. Studying them for a moment, he nodded towards the house.

“Inside” he ordered.

“We’re Starfleet officers,” Helena said “I’m Captain Helena Verne of the U.S.S _Tereshkova_,” she introduced herself “we’re here in response to the distress call from the _Buran_” she continued.

“I said inside,” the man ordered “now” he added.

Seeing that he wasn’t going to back down, Helena nodded.

“We’ll just…go inside then” she muttered as she and the rest of the landing party slowly shuffled inside the house into what appeared to be a kitchen. Inside, seated around a table, were a man and two young boys, all three looked absolutely terrified.

“Hostages” Lindsey hissed under his breath.

“Yes,” Helena nodded. She gestured towards the remaining chairs surrounding the table “sit down everyone,” she invited “looks like we’ll be here for a while”


	8. Violations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter EIGHT! Enjoy! :=)

******

_“Captain’s Log, supplemental: While searching for the missing crew of the starship_ Buran_, myself, and doctors T’Mir and Lindsey, as well as Security Officer Townes have been taken hostage by the_ Buran’s_ captain, Julius Wells, along with a family of three”_

******

Settling down at the table, Helena glanced around the room. She wasn’t an expert on 20th century-style kitchens, but this place seemed to be neat and tidy, there wasn’t a speck of dust within sight, she’d seen Starfleet Medical biohazard clean rooms that weren’t as clean (she was fairly sure that she could truthfully pass a psycho-tricorder test if she was asked if she could see her reflection in the polished hardwood floors).

Completing her study of the room, she turned to study Captain Wells. He was a tall man with short-cropped platinum blonde hair (although she couldn’t tell if that was a fashion choice or natural). Perring through the window, Wells’ shut the curtains and then locked the door.

Holstering the phaser in his hand, he turned to the landing party.

“Sorry about the rude welcome,” he sighed as he sat down “but after what happened to Burnham…,” he trailed off with a humorless smirk. He gestured to the family of three still sitting opposite Helena and the others “these aren’t hostages,” he explained “they’re friends, the only people on this planet who were willing to help us. This is Ch’I’k and his sons, Ke’I and S’n’t” he introduced.

“Hello” Ch’I’k nodded politely at the new arrivals as he stood up and busied himself with the appliances, returning to the table a few seconds later with several cups of some kind of warm liquid which had a sweet, fruity smell.

“Thank you” Helena nodded.

“Are you from outer space too?” one of the boys suddenly asked.

Helena froze, cup halfway towards her mouth. Turning, she glanced at Captain Wells pointedly.

“Captain?” she questioned.

Wells sighed.

“I’m afraid there was no other alternative,” he explained “they saw us beam down”

“How exactly did they see that?” Helena demanded “in an emergency situation, you’re supposed to locate an uninhabited area of the planet to transport”

“Don’t you think I know that?!” Wells demanded “there was barely any time! Half the crew was already from contact with dark matter!” he exclaimed “do you know what happens to a living body when it comes into contact with dark matter? Every atom down to the subatomic level _explodes_. I had to get what few of us were left off the _Buran_ before we all died”

“All right, all right,” Helena sighed “let’s forget about that for now. Now, how many of you are left?”

“Three,” he answered “myself, and Ensigns Layette and Nelson,” he nodded towards the door they had come in through “Ensign Reynolds out there died from his injuries an hour or so after we beamed down,” he explained “I know that you’re going to lecture me on the Prime Directive, but, I ask you, what is the harm if one family knows?”

“Plenty,” Helena countered “what about their descendants? Even if these people keep quiet, who’s to say that their children or grandchildren will?”

“Uh, excuse me,”

The two Starfleet captains looked up, seeing the man, Ch’I’k tentatively raising a hand.

“Look,” he began “I don’t know who you people are, and I honestly don’t care, but…if you need help, then we’ll do all we can to help you” he explained.

“Thank you,” Helena said after a moment’s pause “but, actually, we came here to help them,” she nodded towards Wells “so, where are the other two?” she wondered.

“Oh, my wife went with them to the store,” Ch’I’k explained “so,” he looked between the newcomers “is it true? Are you really from….?” He trailed off, awkwardly pointing up at the ceiling.

Sighing, Helena nodded.

“Yes, we are,” she answered, scowling at a steady beeping from her belt. Pulling her communicator out, she flipped it open “what?” she demanded.

“_Captain?_” Lt. Blackwood asked.

“I’m sorry, Lieutenant,” Helena sighed “bad day. Report”

“_We thought you’d like to know that one of the asteroids is on a collision course with the planet,_” Lt. Blackwood explained “_it’s too small to do any damage,_” she added “_but it might make for an impressive fireworks show_”

“Great,” Helena groaned “all right, understood, keep me informed”

“_Aye, Captain. Any word on the_ Buran’s _crew?_”

“We found three survivors,” Helena began “but we can’t beam up just yet, there are some…complications,” she explained tentatively “check in time is every three hours, Verne out” shutting the communicator, she slipped it back into her pocket. Returning her attention to Captain, her scowl deepened…

******

Onboard the _Tereshkova_, Lt. Yasmin Blackwood closed the channel with a frown. The Captain had _not_ sounded happy, she noted, and wondered why that was…


	9. Passing the Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update! Chapter NINE! Enjoy! :=)

******

_“Ship’s Log, Lt. Yasmin Blackwood in command: We’ve completed repairs to the outer hull and are continuing to monitor the impending asteroid impact. Astrometrics assures me that the asteroid will most likely burn up on reentry, but that still doesn’t make me feel any better, especially with the Captain’s reluctance to discuss the situation on the planet”_

******

Leaning back in her chair, Kira absently shook out her wrists, wincing.

“You all right there, Danvers?” the navigator asked.

“Just a little stiff,” she replied “all this zigzagging around, playing bumper cars with asteroids,”

The rabbit-like navigator nodded, his ears swinging back as he chuckled. He was tall, close to six feet in height (six feet, three inches if one counted his ears) with dark grey fur striped with black, tiger-like strips. Despite the similarity to a rabbit, it was clear that he was descended from a predator species, the retractable claws in his hands and the sharp two inch long canine teeth in his mouth further backed up this fact.

“Sorry,” Kira shook her head “but, you’re a Kroontex, aren’t you?”

He nodded.

“That’s right,” his chest puffed out with clear pride “Ensign Len’tex” he introduced himself.

“I remember reading about your species,” Kira nodded “didn’t you join the Federation only three years ago?”

“That’s right,” he nodded “three years after we became warp-capable and here I am, at the helm of a starship”

“Well, technically, _I’m_ at the helm,” Kira chuckled “but, I get what you mean”

Len’tex nodded.

“If you’ll forgive me,” he began “but you’re…Andorian?”

“No, Human,” Kira shook her head “Andorians are blue and have antenna” she wiggled her fingers atop her head.

“Ah!” Len’tex nodded “yes, that’s right,” he realized “and Vulcans are the ones with pointed ears?”

“That’s right” Kira nodded.

“And those?” Len’tex asked, pointing at her glasses.

“Oh, these are ‘glasses’,” she explained “they help me see”

Len’tex frowned.

“If you need assistance to see, then why were you given a post at the helm?” he asked, clearly confused.

“The Federation doesn’t believe in discrimination,” Kira explained “if I can do my job as well, if not better, than someone who has perfect vision then why should I be denied the opportunity?”

Len’tex nodded slowly.

“In my culture, it was different,” he explained “for the longest time, if you were infirm, you were a pariah, without use,” he seemed to see her surprise and added quickly “of course, that practice was abolished long before we joined the Federation. But…” he trailed off, clearly embarrassed.

“Old habits die hard” Kira nodded.

“Knock it off you guys” Lt. Airiam called. Turning, both Kira and Len’tex watched as she nodded towards the turbolift as Lt. Blackwood stepped onto the bridge.

Turning back to their stations, Len’tex tapped his console, a text message from him appearing on Kira’s console.

> **What is Lt. Airiam’s story?**

Smirking, Kira typed back a reply.

> **I honestly don’t know**


	10. Impact

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter TEN! Enjoy! :=)

******

The warm, fruity drink wasn’t as bad tasting as Helena imagined it would. In truth, the closest analogy she could think of to a taste she knew as ‘warm orange juice’. Finishing off her mug, Helena set it aside as she examined the furnishings in the Ken’t’ki family’s home, while the atheistic were different from Earth at the same time period the furniture was neat and tidy, speaking of the family’s affluence in the community. The two boys had left for school a few minutes ago, leaving the landing party, Captain Wells, and the boys’ father, Ch’I’k alone.

“Ahem,”

Helena turned at the quiet cough.

“Would you like something to eat?” Ch’I’k asked.

“No, thank you,” Helena shook her head “you don’t have to wait on me” she explained.

“Oh,” Ch’I’k blinked “sorry,” he apologized “but, here, on our planet—”

“…men are seen as inferior to women,” Helena nodded “yes, I know” she recalled how, on this world, women held power while men were relegated to being stay-at-home husbands, rearing the children and maintaining the house while their wives worked.

“So…,” he began “it’s not for you?” he asked.

“Well, I can’t speak for every race and culture out there,” Helena began “but my society doesn’t believe in gender inequality, to us a person’s value and worth is based on other qualifications, everyone is important, everyone is equal, everyone is worthy of respect, regardless of gender or skin color,” she explained.

She frowned, studying him.

“You disagree?” she asked.

Ch’I’k frowned.

“I don’t know” he admitted.

“This is exactly why we’re not supposed to interfere,” Helena complained “to prevent people from being exposed to ideas and concepts they’re not ready for yet”

“I don’t understand,” Ch’I’k said, absently gesturing for her to join him on the sofa “if you’re so advanced, why would we be of any interest to you?” he wondered.

“Well, firstly its simple curiosity,” Helena began “we want to learn more about you, your history, your culture, but it’s also a way to learn more about ourselves. We were once like you, our technology and our culture. So, by learning about you, we can learn more about our own history” she explained.

Ch’I’k nodded slowly, absorbing this new information.

“Is your world anything like this?” he asked.

Helena smirked as she thought about her childhood in the underground sprawling cities of Midnight, going upside on dares and then running back to the entrance to the city as the solar rays swept across the sands, burning and scorching everything they touched, growing up playing (roughhousing) with Klingon children, often winning because the other children underestimated her since she was Human.

“Well, not exactly,” she began “but, it’s similar” she finally answered as a knock came at the door.

“Excuse me,” Ch’I’k stood up and answered the door “oh, Ens’a,” he greeted “hello” opening the door wider, he allowed the guest enter, who Helena recognized as the woman who had directed her and the landing party to the Ken’t’si house in the first place.

“Oh, hello, again” she greeted upon seeing Helena.

“Hello” Helena nodded back politely.

“Well,” Ens’a turned back to Ch’I’k “I just stopped by to ask if your boys wouldn’t mind doing some odd chores for me?” she asked “I’ll pay them for the work of course” she added.

“Oh,” Ch’I’k began “well…I’ll have to ask Sen’I, but I don’t see any harm in it” he explained.

“Wonderful!” Ens’a beamed “could they possibly start today after they get home from school?” she asked, her tone hopeful.

Ch’I’k smiled.

“I’ll see what I can do” he replied.

“Perfect!” Ens’a beamed “just drop them by later, I’ll be home all day” she explained. Waving at Helena, she spun and cheerfully slipped out the door.

“Cheerful sort, isn’t she?” Helena remarked as the door shut.

“Hmm,” Ch’I’k nodded “she’s an equalist, I guess it’s just a trait,” he dismissed.

Suddenly the window panes began to rattle, a tremor suddenly surging through the floor as a distant rumbling sound grew closer and louder, suddenly becoming a deafening roar as a bright light flared across the sky.

“What was that?” Ch’I’k demanded, rushing towards a table, reaching for a telephone-like device “the speaker’s dead” he exclaimed.

“So are the lights” Helena noted as the rest of the landing party rushed into the room.

“Captain?” Dr. Lindsey asked.

“I think that meteor the ship mentioned must have hit,” Helena reasoned, pulling out her communicator “Verne to _Tereshkova_,” she scowled when no response came through “_Tereshkova_, come in…come in…”

******

“Report!” Lt. Blackwood demanded as the _Tereshkova’s_ bridge burst into a flurry of activity.

“The dark matter asteroid impacted the planet’s atmosphere,” Lt. Airiam explained “I’m not detecting any damage to the planet’s surface, but it looks like the impact released a radiation wave that disabled power across a wide section of the northwestern continent” she continued.

“Hail the landing party” Lt. Blackwood ordered.

“No response”

Lt. Blackwood scowled.

“Keep trying”


	11. Count Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter ELEVEN! Enjoy! :=)

******

Helena scowled at her communicator, absently giving it a frustrated shake.

“Advanced technology, my eye” she grumbled, giving the device a little slap before she tried the three small dials again, which only produced static of varying intensities. Scowling, she shut it with a _snap_ before putting the device away for the moment.

Coming back into the house’s kitchen, she assessed her landing party, Captain Wells, and Ch’I’k.

“No change?” Wells asked.

“No,” Helena shook her head “looks like we’re on our own for now” she pronounced as the front door opened.

“Ch’I’k!” a woman called “Ch’I’k, you’ll never believe what’s going on,” she continued as she came into the kitchen, scowling as she saw the four newcomers “oh, Forger, more of you?” she swore “here,” she passed the two large bags she held to her husband “put these away,” she instructed. Turning to the foursome, her scowled deepened.

“Let me guess, you’re all from outer space too?” she asked with a tired sigh.

“That’s right,” Helena nodded with an equally tired sigh “I’m Helena Verne,” she introduced herself “this is Dr. Lindsey and Dr. T’Mir, and Ms. Townes, I’m sorry, dear, I don’t know your first name”

“Melissa” Security Officer Townes offered.

“…Melissa Townes, thank you” Helena nodded.

“Well,” the woman began “I’m Se’I, you’ve met my husband, Ch’I’k obviously, and I assume you know these two,” she gestured to the two men standing behind her in Starfleet blue.

“Ensigns Layette and Nelson,” Helena nodded at the two men “so, whose who?” she asked.

“I’m Layette,” the dark haired man introduced himself “he’s Nelson” he gestured towards his redheaded companion.

“We’re a double act” Nelson joked, earning a chuckle from most of those present (the Vulcan T’Mir excluded)

“Captain Helena Verne of the starship _Tereshkova_,” Helena nodded “do you know how many people have lost power?” she wondered.

“From what we saw it looks like the whole city,” Layette explained “maybe even the whole continent” he shrugged.

“What caused it, anyway?” Nelson asked.

“A dark matter asteroid hit the atmosphere” Helena explained.

“Like what the _Buran_ ran into” Captain Wells explained.

“Damn” Layette swore under his breath as he and Nelson sat down at the kitchen island.

“I find it interesting that we only lost power after you people arrived” Se’I commented, her intent clear.

“Come on,” her husband sighed “we’ve had power losses from skyfalls before,” he dismissed “so, this one is a little larger than most, doesn’t mean that they’re involved”

Se’I sighed.

“No,” she agreed with her husband “I suppose not,” she looked towards her husband “come on, let’s see what we can cook without power” she sighed…

******

Kira groaned as she retrieved an extra-strong cup of coffee from the food synthesizer, downing half of it in one gulp. Nursing the cup, she made her way out of the cafeteria and to the turbolift.

“Bridge,” she instructed it, the ‘lift steadily rising towards deck one. Stepping out onto the bridge, she headed for her station, passing the captain’s chair with a twinge of unease. Relieving the officer in her place, she finished her coffee and sat down at the helm, setting the now-empty cup down on the deck to recycle later.

Turning to her station, she frowned as an alert began flashing on her console.

“Lt. Blackwood?” she called.

“What is it, Kira?”

“I’m not sure,” Kira admitted “but, it looks like several objects are on a direct collision course”

“Confirmed,” Airiam announced “it’s the dark matter asteroids. _All_ of them”

“Damn,” Lt. Blackwood swore “time to impact?”

“If they continue on their present course and speed, they will impact the planet in approximately one hour and thirty-six minutes” Airiam explained.

“Where will they hit?” Kira asked.

“Everywhere” Airiam announced grimly.

“Any luck hailing the landing party?” Lt. Blackwood asked.

“Not yet, ma’am”

“Keep trying” Lt. Blackwood snarled…


	12. When the Lights Go Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter TWELVE! Enjoy! :=)

******

**Time remaining: 49:00**

Helena peered through the curtains, frowning at the sight of the crowd gathered in the street, the entire neighborhood it seemed had gathered in the street, all of them talking about the sudden and abrupt power loss.

Flicking the curtains back, Helena felt her frown deepen. This could get ugly she realized, if power wasn’t restored soon people would start to panic, the same thing had happened to Earth during the Post-Atomic Horror that followed the end of World War III, without the technologies that had given comfort and security to most people, a majority of the planet had fallen into a new dark ages characterized by kangaroo courts and draconian law, which had persisted well into the 22nd century for at least until a decade after First Contact.

Of course, Helena reminded herself, the Post-Atomic Horror had only happened after nearly a decade of constant warfare, as well as rampant famine and disease brought about by the use of nuclear and biological weapons, and here on GH-42-459 IV power had only been out for an hour or so. But the fact remained, it _could_ happen, and that’s what worried her, especially with the planet’s already fragile geopolitics.

If Dr. Lincoln’s field notes were correct, then the civil unrest in the Kin’shy Republic that was currently being caused by the war against the Unionists and the equalist movement could easily be pushed into full-blown planet-wide hysteria if something as simple as the lights went out.

She suddenly recalled a log entry from the _Enterprise_, Kirk and his crew had encountered two individuals from the planet Cheron, a political refugee called ‘Lokai’ and a law enforcement officer named ‘Bele’, the two men shared a unique pigmentation; Lokai’s body was white on the left side and black on the right side, while Bele was the reverse; black on the left and white on the right.

During their stay aboard the _Enterprise_, the two men each accused the other of various crimes, Lokai accused Bele of being part of an unjust political system aimed at oppressing and enslaving those who were white on the left and black on the right, and Bele accused Lokai of being a political dissident who threatened the planet’s stability.

Such a simple difference had resulted in both sides of the planet devolving into a civil war that killed the entire planet save for the two men, both of whom—upon discovering this—had beamed down to their now-empty homeworld to continue their pointless feud.

Helena shivered as she imagined the same thing happening here.

Abandoning her vigil for the moment, she opened the door and stepped outside, absently shielding her eyes from the sunlight (the price of having been born and raised in an underground society, she thought with some humor: photosensitivity). Letting her eyes adjust, she approached the group of people, all of whom appeared to be ‘black’ by a pre-Federation Earth’s standards, and all of whom stared at her with varying degrees of unease as she approached.

“Afternoon” she greeted mildly.

“Afternoon,” the woman who she recognized as Ens’a nodded politely at her “everything all right at the Ken’t’si?” she asked.

“Seems to be,” Helena nodded “no power, but it looks like that’s the same for everyone right now”

Ens’a nodded.

“Looks like,” she agreed “looks like your stay will be longer” she noted.

“Looks like” Helena chuckled, absently glancing skyward and wishing she could somehow _will_ the _Tereshkova_ to contact her…


	13. The Darkness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter THIRTEEN! Warning it gets intense here

******

**Time remaining: 39:00**

The food synthesizer chirped as the slot opened and the tray slid out. Smiling at the sight of the cheeseburger with French fries and habanero sauce, with a large chocolate milkshake on the side, Kira gathered up the tray and took it over to a table in an unobtrusive corner of the mess hall, settling down by one of the tall narrow viewports, the half-sphere of the planet below filling most of them.

The officers’ mess hall was located on deck two, forward, on the outer edge of the saucer section’s inner ring, following the semi-circular shape of the hull, resulting in a semi-circular room. Unlike most Starfleet vessels, the Crossfield-class’s saucer section was divided into an inner and outer ring, with the bridge in the center of the inner ring. Both rings were connected to each other by four ‘spokes’ which also held connecting turboshafts and access corridors. The reason for the separation of the two sections was largely unknown by the ship’s crew, and appeared to be nothing more than aesthetic choice by the designers.

The mess hall on the _Tereshkova_ was larger than on other Crossfield-class ships, as Helena Verne had ordered the captain’s dining room be removed and expanded to make room for more crewmembers. As a result the dividing bulkhead had been removed and now allowed for three more tables to be added to the room.

Looking around the largely-empty semi-circular room, Kira shrugged and set up her PADD for audio recitation as she tucked into her cheeseburger, determined to not think about the landing party down on the planet below…

******

Night had fallen on Evergreen Street, and the power had yet to return. Helping Ch’I’k light a few more candles, Helena frowned as she passed by the main room’s windows, briefly peering out on the darkened street, seeing a few flickering candle lights in some windows. Perhaps it was her imagination, but there was a definite change in the air, the neighbors—who hours previously had all gathered in the middle of the street to gossip and swap stories about how bad they each had it without power—were gone, having all retreated to the safety of indoors as the darkness fell, the heavily-clouded sky blocked out the starlight or even the bright point of light from the nebula at the outer edge of the system, further increasing the sense of unease.

With very little ambient light, Helena’s photosensitivity was much improved and, like all Midnighters, her night-vision much stronger than an average Human’s. But even so, the primal fear of the dark, the terror of what unseen horrors could be lurking just outside the flicking glow of a candle flame, sent shivers down her spine.

She was certain that _something_ monumental was going to happen tonight, and whatever it was, it wouldn’t be good.

“Here,”

She was broken out of her thoughts by Ch’I’k holding out a blanket towards her.

“There’s no power for the heating elements,” he explained “it’ll be cold tonight now that winter’s here”

“Thank you,” taking the blanket from him, she unfolded it and draped it around her shoulders “you’d better bundle up yourselves” she advised.

“Yes, we’ve set up some camp beds for you and your friends,” he explained, gesturing towards the center of the room, where several cots had been set up “it’s not much, but it’s the least we could do”

“Thank you, Ch’I’k,” Helena smiled “this’ll be fine”

Nodding in a pleased motion, Ch’I’k turned to the stairs.

“Well, good night” he said.

“Good night” Helena nodded as he climbed the stairs and disappeared around a corner, the quiet _click_ of a door shutting behind him echoing out moments later.

Turning as the rest of the landing party came into room, Helena gestured towards the setup.

“Make yourselves comfortable” she invited and Captain Wells and Ensigns Layette and Nelson walked in…

******

**Time remaining: 24:00**

A loud clatter woke Helena out of a restless sleep. Sitting up on the cot, she looked around the darkened room; she spotted several shadows moving across the window, flicking lights accompanying them along with a loud, agitated murmuring.

Throwing off the blankets, she made her way to the window, peering through the glass to watch as a large crowd made their way down the street, lanterns and homemade torches lighting their way.

Watching as they passed the Ken’t’si house, Helena felt her unease grow as she saw the crow stop outside the house which had had the ‘for sale’ sign up earlier.

Squinting, she watched as several members of the crowd marched to the house’s porch and began to angrily pound on the door. When no answer (at least none that Helena could see or hear) came, the crowd members turned and began to talk amongst themselves, their movements and voices quickly growing more and more agitated.

As she watched, several members gathered up rocks, heavy sticks, and gardening pots, and began to hurl them at the house, the windows shattering as the crowd moved forwards almost like a living thing, quickly battering the house’s front door down and streaming inside, panicked shouts and screams filling the air.

Turning back, Helena whistled sharply, Dr. T’Mir and Security Officer Townes both bolting upright at the sound.

“Wells,” Helena barked “get up and come with me” she ordered.

Marching out into the cold, dark night air, she and Captain Wells along with Townes and the two Ensigns quickly made their way across the street.

“Stop!” Helena called, her voice being drowned out by the roar of the mob “_stop!!! **STOP!!!!!!**_” she roared, as she struggled to push her way through the crowd to no avail.

A sharp burst of pain across her right temple left her reeling, and falling to her hands and knees, she struggled to regain her equilibrium as the rest of the crowd surged into the house.

“Captain!” she felt a pair of hands grip her shoulders “you’re injured,” Dr. T’Mir proclaimed “come, the logical course of action—”

With a grunt, Helena shook herself out of the Vulcan’s grip, staggering to her feet. Fingering the bleeding cut on the side of her head, she wobbled as she struggled to try and pull some members of the frenzied crowd back as a loud _shriek_ broke the air.

Turning to look, Helena felt her stomach twist as she saw the house’s occupants, a man, a woman, and two little girls no older than eight, now laying the pavement. Both parents were lying face down on the cold street, their faces covered in blood, while one of the girl’s franticly shook her father’s shoulder, trying to rouse him, while the other girl—bleeding profusely from a large gash on her forehead—knelt on the ground, screaming, whether from pain, terror, or shock, Helena couldn’t tell.

The sound of the girl’s frantic, almost animalistic wails seemed to snap the crowd out of its frenzy. And some staggered back, dropping whatever implement they held. Others merely covered their mouths in shock, while others simply stared at the shocking sight before them.

As the crowd watched, the woman weakly opened her eyes, reaching out with one arm as she let out a sickening gurgling sound, her hand clawing at the air as she gave a violent shudder, seemingly struggling to try and speak.

“Move! Move!”

Helena watched as one woman pushed her way through the crowd, who Helena recognized as the ringleader from earlier, who had called the new family’s arrival as ‘disgusting’.

Approaching the injured, she merely stood there, staring down at the women. But unlike many of the crowd, her face held no shock, no revulsion, instead her face was blank, expressionless as she fingered the heavy club-like object in her hands.

A whimpering sound caught her attention, her head swinging to look at the oldest girl, as the child stumbled towards her, the blood from the wound on her forehead having run down her face and into her eyes, effectively blinding her as she stumbled forwards into the woman, colliding with her legs. Scrubbing at her eyes, the girl looked up at the woman, surprised.

Suddenly animated, the woman swung out with the club, bringing it down on the child’s head with a loud and sickening _crack_. The act seemed to spurn the rest of the crowd into motion again, and they set upon the small family of four like a pack of wild animals…


	14. Baracades

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update! Chapter FOURTEEN! Enjoy! :=)

******

For a moment, Helena and the five other Starfleet officers stood there, staring in morbid fascination as the mob tore into their victims.

“Back,” Helena hissed “everybody back, _now!_” she urged.

Some of the mob seemed to have heard her voice, as some of them turned to face the Starfleet officers, steadily advancing on them.

“Go! Go!” Helena ordered, already shoving Ensign Nelson towards the others as they raced back to the Ken’t’si house, the group charging through the door and slamming it shut behind them.

“What is it?” Se’I, Ch’I’k’s wife asked as she came down the stairs, a lantern in her hands “we heard shouting” she continued.

“How heavy is that chest?” Helena asked, pointing towards a large wooden chest in the corner.

“What?” Se’I asked.

“Never mind,” Helena dismissed, already gripping the chest “just help me move it!” she ordered as the sound of the mob grew closer. Hearing this, Ch’I’k and Se’I surged into motion, crowding around the chest and helping Helena and Captain Wells move the heavy chest in front of the door.

“That won’t hold them for long” Wells proclaimed.

“No,” Helena agreed “it won’t”

******

“Make sure that there are no loose nails!” Helena urged as she helped Se’I nail a board over the window above the kitchen sink. Behind her, Captain Wells and Ensigns Layette and Nelson stacked a group of chairs in front to the kitchen door, barricading it.

“This is ridiculous,” Se’I hissed “these are our friends! Our neighbors!”

“Fear does funny things to mind” Helena explained as she and Ch’I’k rooted through the room’s cupboards and gathered every bit of non-perishable foodstuff they could find.

“To _your_ mind, maybe, alien” Se’I countered.

“To _all_ minds!” Helena insisted “right now they don’t see you as friends, right now they see you as a threat!” she explained hurriedly "there's a term for it on my world, 'mob mentality'," she continued as a loud crash from the front door shook the windows.

Head snapping in that direction, Helena swore in Klingonese.

“Get some more boards,” she urged Ch’I’k “and stay away from the windows!” she added….


	15. Besieged

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Triple update! Chapter FIFTEEN! Enjoy! :=)

******

_“Ship’s Log, First Officer Lt. Yasmin Blackwood in command: We now have less than an hour before the dark matter asteroids impact the planet’s surface. Radiation from the first impact has prevented us from contacting the landing party or from beaming them back up as well as disabling power on a large majority of the planet’s surface. If we cannot contact or retrieve the landing party by the time the asteroids hit, I will be forced to leave them behind as per the Prime Directive’s policy of non-interference”_

******

“We can’t just leave them there!” Kira exclaimed as she and Lt. Airiam gathered in the small space of the _Tereshkova’s_ ready room with Lt. Blackwood.

“Kira, I don’t want to leave them behind any more than you do,” Lt. Blackwood stated “but, if we can’t get them back by the time those asteroids hit, then…” she trailed off.

“What about using a shuttlecraft?” Kira suggested “instead of the transporter?”

“Won’t work,” Airiam shook her head “even if we could be sure that it won’t be seen by the natives, the radiation field is still strong enough in the upper atmosphere that it would scramble the shuttle’s systems before you got anywhere near the landing party’s location”

“Is there _any way_ that we could cut through the interference to either beam them up or contact them?” Lt. Blackwood asked.

“Engineering is still working on modifying the main transceiver assembly,” Airiam explained “but, the thing is, we just don’t have the time”

“What about the spore drive?” Kira suddenly suggested.

“Pardon?” Airiam asked as she and Lt. Blackwood turned to stare at her.

“Well, the spore drive still uses subspace, right?” Kira began “so, couldn’t we use the drive to…I don’t know…bypass the interference?”

“You know,” Airiam began “that might just work,” she nodded “the mycelial plane is its own, distinct subspace domain. If we channel a signal through the main deflector dish, using the spore drive, we might just, _might_, be able to contact the landing party”

“But what about the transporter?” Lt. Blackwood asked “could the same principle be used to beam them up?”

“Possibly,” Airiam nodded “if a two-way transmission can go through, then—theoretically—a matter stream could as well”

“Get started,” Lt. Blackwood ordered “and, Kira? Remind me to yell at the engineers for not figuring this out before you did”

Kira smirked.

“Yes, ma’am” she chuckled…

******

_“Captain’s Log, supplemental: The racial tensions on this planet, at least on Evergreen Street anyway, have boiled over into frenzied mob mentality. Already one family has been attacked, and now the mob seems intent on razing the neighborhood to the ground. Additionally, we still cannot contact the_ Tereshkova_. For now, all we can do is wait and hope”_

******

**Time remaining: 00:49**

The mob appeared to be growing in strength if not size. The mob appeared to have fractured, splitting off into smaller groups which had begun assaulting other homes. If the shouts and screams were any inclination, it seemed that minor grievances and annoyances had boiled over, with the riotous mobs using them as an excuse to assault and beat their neighbors.

Watching through a narrow gap between two boards, Helena grimaced.

“Reminds me of an old movie” Ensign Layette commented from behind her.

“Ensign?” Helena asked.

“Oh, it was old movie from 21st century Earth, made just before World War III if I remember,” he began “anyway, it took place in a fictional world where, for one night a year, all crime including murder, was legal. I think it was called…_The…Purge_? Something like that”

“Hmm, 21st century popular culture isn’t exactly my strong suit,” Helena remarked, jumping back from the window as a firebomb was suddenly hurled through the window of a house across the street, the windows exploding out in a gout of flame.

“But,” Helena continued “this world is a lot like Earth during those same periods”

“Yeah,” Layette grunted “and it’s all the bad parts”

“Hmm,” Helena nodded. Looking around the street, she glanced skyward, wondering if the _Tereshkova_ could detect all of this. As if on cue, her communicator began to steadily beep, indicating an incoming call.

Eagerly pulling it out, she flipped out.

“Verne here”

“_Captain_” Lt. Blackwood’s voice was distorted, warbling in pitch, but understandable.

“Yasmin, boy I am so glad to hear your voice,” Helena sighed “report, what’s going on up there?”

“_A series of dark matter asteroids are on a direct collision course with the planet,_” Lt. Blackwood explained “_they’re due to hit in…forty-nine minutes. How many of the_Buran’s_ crew did you find?_”

“Only three, I’m afraid,” Helena explained “listen, how are the transporters coming along? Because we’ve got something of a situation down here,” she looked up at a loud crash, watching as the chest barricading the house’s front door suddenly shuddered, wobbled, and then fell to the floor with an almighty crash.

“Shit,” Helena swore “Blackwood? Emergency beam out, now!” she ordered.

“_Captain, we’re still trying to—_”

“I said _‘now’_, Lieutenant!” Helena barked into the communicator as she and Ensign Layette frantically backed away from the door as it splintered and rattled in its frame. Entering the kitchen, Helena looked to the Ken’t’si family as they huddled around the table.

“Is there a basement?” she asked “a cellar?”

“Here” Se’I stood up, opening a narrow door off to the side of the room and frantically ushering her husband and sons down the narrow stairs, the five Starfleet officers following her down, Captain Wells and his two Ensigns hurriedly shutting and the door.

“_Tereshkova_, do you still read me?” Helena asked as she looked around the small, dark room for any other exits and found none. A loud crash made her look up the stairs, watching through the dim light as the door shook and rattled ominously.

“_We still read you, Captain,_” Lt. Blackwood answered “_stand by for transport,_” she instructed as the group huddled together in a tight group “_Captain? We’re having trouble separating your life-signs from those around you_” Lt. Blackwood suddenly announced.

“Then beam us all up!” Helena ordered.

“_Captain, the Prime Directive—_”

“Right now there is an angry mob fully intent on ripping us limb from limb!” Helena snapped “beam us up! Now!”

“_Acknowledged, stand by_”

The door began to splinter, the flickering lantern lights giving the faces of the mob’s members a ghoulish appearance as they peered through the widening gaps in the barrier separating them from their prey.

“Anytime now, people!” Helena barked into the communicator as a series of hands began reaching through the holes in the doors, seeking out a way to open it perhaps, or perhaps someone to attack.

Suddenly, the familiar tingle of a transporter beam locked onto the huddled group, the darkened basement disappearing in a haze of golden sparkles to be replaced with the bright interior of a transporter room.

“Bridge, transporter room, we got them”

“Cutting it a bit close there, aren’t we, Ensign?” Helena panted out. She glanced at Captain Wells and his two crewmembers “Dr. T’Mir, take Captain Wells and the Ensigns to sickbay,” she ordered as she stepped down off the transporter pad, Dr. T’Mir and her three patients leaving the room.

Turning, Helena smirked as she studied the Ken’t’si family as they huddled together on the pad.

“It’s all right,” she encouraged them “no one here is going to harm you”

Still looking shocked, the family of four slowly stepped off the pad.

“Where…?” Se’I began, looking around in undisguised wonder and awe.

“You’re aboard my ship” Helena explained.

“But…how?” Ch’I’k asked.

“That’s a little hard to explain,” Helena admitted “but, for the moment, you’re all safe here,” she explained. She turned to the transporter chief “Ensign Crow? You never saw these people, clear?”

“Crystal, Captain”

“Good” Helena nodded…


	16. Responsibility

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter SIXTEEN! Enjoy! :=)

******

**Time remaining: 00:29**

As the Ken’t’si family slowly broke apart from the huddled mass they’d been clumped into, Helena looked up as the boatswain’s whistle echoed through the room.

“_Bridge to Captain Verne_”

“Verne here” Helena replied as she leaned over the transporter console.

“_Captain, we have less than thirty minutes until those asteroids hit_” Lt. Blackwood announced.

Helena scowled.

“Understood, I’ll be right there, Verne out,” closing the channel, she gestured towards the Ken’t’si family “you four, with me” she ordered. Reluctantly following her out of the room, they looked around the corridor in undisguised awe at the sheer number of Humans and aliens passing by, some of whom slowed and stared at the family curiously as they passed.

Leading the family to the turbolift, Helena pressed the call button.

“How big is this place?” Ch’I’k wondered.

“Actually, we’re one of the smaller ships in the fleet,” Helena explained “you should see the heavy cruisers” she chuckled as the turbolift arrived, the doors opening to reveal an Andorian in science blue.

“Captain,” she greeted politely as Helena and the startled Ken’t’si filed inside “good to have you back aboard” the Andorian continued.

“Good to be back,” Helena chuckled “bridge,” she ordered the turbolift. As the car began steadily moving, she frowned at the Andorian “are you all right, Ensign?” she asked “you look a little pale”

“I think I’ve got a touch of Ivrdian flu” the Ensign explained as she absently sniffled.

“Ah, yes, I hear that it’s been going around,” Helena nodded “well, just remember, if you start feeling worse, go to sickbay,” she advised “don’t try and tough it out, just go”

The Andorian nodded as she glanced at the two Ken’t’si boys, smiling and waving at them as the turbolift stopped and she stepped out.

As the doors closed and the turbolift continued on for the bridge, Se’I turned to Helena.

“She was blue” she stated.

“Yes, she was” Helena nodded.

“With…” Se’I wiggled her fingers atop her head.

“Antenna” Helena supplied as the turbolift stopped and opened onto the bridge.

“Captain,” Lt. Blackwood swiveled the command chair to face the new arrivals “good to have you back” she greeted.

“Yasmin,” Helena nodded politely at her first officer “you’re in my spot,” she added. As the Lieutenant vacated the command chair, Helena paused, noting how the bridge crew were all pointedly staring at the Ken’t’si. Scowling, Helena cleared her throat.

“As far as any of you are concerned, these people are _not_ here. Is that clear?” nodding in satisfaction at the answering nods and murmurs of _‘yes, ma’am’_, she approached the science station “Airiam,” she began “can you tell if those asteroids are on an intercept course with the planet because of the _Buran_?”

“Captain?” Airiam asked.

“Could the _Buran’s_ presence have altered their course and trajectory?” Helena elaborated “drawn them off course like when we encountered them?”

“Possibly,” Airiam nodded “but highly unlikely” she added.

“But you agree that it _is_ possible?” Helena insisted “that the asteroids could have been drawn off course because of us?”

Airiam nodded.

“Yes”

“Works for me,” Helena nodded as she turned and addressed the bridge at large “all right, people, I want ideas, how do we get those asteroids away from the planet?”

“Captain, are you suggesting that we…?” Lt. Blackwood trailed off uncertainly.

“I’m not about to let a planet of more than eight million people be wiped out because of something that we might have caused,” Helena explained “the Prime Directive may prevent us from interfering, but if we _are_ responsible for this, then we have an obligation to fix it,” she stated “senior staff in my ready room,” she ordered.

She gestured to the Ken’t’si.

“You folks too,” she added “it’s your planet after all”


	17. Racing the Clock

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter SEVENTEEN! Enjoy! :=)

******

The ready room was crowded. With only three chairs available (and taken by Lieutenants Airiam and Blackwood and Helena herself), the rest were forced to stand, crowding in the small space.

“All right, people, I want ideas,” Helena declared as she retrieved some tea from the food synthesizer “how do we stop the asteroids from hitting the planet?”

“Ahem,”

The group paused and looked over as Ch’I’k tentatively raised a hand.

“Erm…what are ‘asteroids’, exactly?” he asked.

“Interstellar debris that’s left over from the formation of this star system,” Airiam explained “occasionally, pieces of those debris will be captured by the gravity of a planetary body and crash into it”

Kira leaned forward, smiling at Ch’I’k.

“Giant space rocks” she supplied.

“Uh-huh,” Se’I nodded slowly “and these…rocks are going to hit the planet? _Our_ planet?”

“Not if we can help it,” Helena vowed “so,” she turned back to her senior staff “ideas?”

“Well, we can’t destroy them,” Airiam began “even if our weapons could affect them, we don’t have enough firepower to destroy them all”

“And we can’t tractor them away either” Helena nodded.

“Maybe we could,” Kira nodded. Standing up, she grabbed the ever-present bowl of peanut M&Ms on the desk and poured some of its contents onto the desk’s surface. Selecting a large green one, she held it up.

“OK, this is us, right?” she began

“If you say so” Lt. Blackwood nodded hesitantly.

“OK,” Kira put the candy down on the desk “now, what if we could lead them away from the planet? Get them to follow us like they did when we first arrived?”

“We’d have to get ahead of the pack,” Helena began “and avoid being smashed to pieces in the process”

“I can do that, easy” Kira boasted.

“Even so, there’s no guarantee that we’ll get the asteroids far enough away from the planet” Airiam pointed out.

“Oh,” Kira visibly deflated “you’re right,” she realized, sinking back down into her chair “damn,” she muttered “too bad we can’t just…throw them into the sun”

“What if you could?” Se’I suddenly suggested.

The others turned to look at her.

“Pardon?” Helena asked.

“What if you could,” Se’I repeated “would that work?”

“Not without upsetting the sun’s balance,” Airiam explained “the resulting solar flares would…,” she trailed off, cringing “well…roast the planet” she finally finished.

“Then another sun, then,” Se’I sighed “you’re telling me that with all your advanced technology, that you can’t do that?”

Helena turned to Airiam.

“_Could_ we do that?” she wondered.

“Theoretically,” Airiam began “but, we can’t use this system’s sun,” she warned “it’d have to another star, one of a similar type”

“We pulled the log from the _Buran_,” Lt. Blackwood spoke up “there’s another type-O star four-point-five light-years away from this system. Could that one work?”

“It could,” Airiam nodded “now the question is, how do we get them there?”

“Could we use the spore drive?” Helena wondered.

Airiam huffed out a breath.

“Well…,” she began “the spore drive uses an entire subspace domain, so it would be easier than trying to extend our warp field around more than a thousand asteroids”

“But could the drive handle that much additional mass?” Helena wondered.

“I’ll start crunching the numbers” Airiam nodded.

“You have less than twenty-eight minutes,” Helena advised “work fast”


	18. Into the Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update! Chapter EIGHTEEN! Enjoy! :=)

******

“Verne”

Helena looked up as the bridge turbolift doors slid open, Captain Wells stepping out.

“Captain Wells,” she greeted “I thought Dr. T’Mir had you on bedrest”

“Well, you know us Starfleet captains,” he shrugged “we make terrible patients”

“Hmm, no comment,” Helena chuckled. She swiveled her chair to face him fully “not going to lecture me on the Prime Directive?” she wondered.

Wells shrugged.

“I’d be pretty hypocritical if I did that, wouldn’t I?” he remarked. He sighed “I suppose both of us will be facing a board of inquiry after all this is over”

“Assuming that we don’t blow up trying this” Helena reminded him.

“Speaking of which,” Wells began “just _how_ is this plan of yours supposed to work, exactly?”

“That’s classified” she replied.

“Classified,” he repeated “on a Federation starship”

“Not just _any_ Federation starship,” she reminded him “a _Crossfield-class_ starship”

“I know,” Wells nodded “you know,” he began “I was part of the committee that declared that this class of ship was too costly to keep building” he remarked.

“Is that supposed to surprise me?” Helena laughed “I know that. The _Tereshkova_ is the last of her kind,” she declared “the fourth and final Crossfield-class ship to be built,” she frowned thoughtfully “almost a pity, isn’t it?” she mused “all the hard work that went into building these four ships, and soon, it’ll probably all be forgotten. Or, at the very least, relegated to the back of some dusty archive room, just another file about a failed starship design, one among thousands. That’s assuming that it isn’t all redacted and _pulped_ by Starfleet Intelligence”

“It’s not a total loss,” Wells reminded her “most of the technology being used here is already being implemented on other ships in the rest of the fleet. The refits of the Constitution-class, for example are using some of the technology that your crew uses every day” he pointed out.

“Still…,” Helena’s frown deepened for a moment, then she shook her head and brightened “so, how are the Ken’t’si settling in?” she asked.

“Well,” Wells nodded “the culture shock seems to be wearing off,” he explained “how’re things down on the planet?”

“Well, the power’s still out in most of the cities on the northwest continent,” Helena began “but, it looks like that most of the rioting and looting has been contained. It looks like we saw the worst of it on Evergreen Street”

“Hmm,” Wells scowled “small comfort to the victims”

Helena scowled herself.

“Yes” she agreed softly.

“_Engineering to Bridge_”

Helena swung her chair back around.

“Go ahead”

“_Well, it probably would’ve given Einstein a royal migraine,_” Airiam sighed “_but, long story short, we_ can _do it. We’ll use up our entire supply of spores, but we can do it, we_ can _carry most, if not all, of the asteroids through the mycelium plane_”

“We can always grow more spores from the cultivation bay,” Helena remarked. She frowned “we _can_ grow more, right?” she asked.

“_Yes, ma’am,_” Airiam chuckled “_but, there are a few provisions to this harebrained scheme_” she warned.

“Well?”

“_Well, first of all, we’d need to draw the asteroids clear of the system’s heliosphere first,_” Airiam began “_and in order to make sure that all of them enter the mycelium plane, we’d need to right in the middle of them_”

“I can do that, no problem” Kira called out.

“_You’d better, Kira,_” Airiam chuckled “_this all your crazy idea anyway_”

“Ladies,” Helena called “you can fight later,” she reminded them “right now; we’re approaching the point of no return. So, what do we need to do?”

“_I advise using the spore drive until we absolutely have to,_” Airiam warned “_meaning, that we’ll have to enter the asteroid field through conventional means_” she explained.

“All right, let’s get started,” Helena declared “we’re on the clock, people” she warned…

******

**Time remaining: 00:15**

“_Engineering to Bridge, we’re all ready down here_” Airiam reported.

“Acknowledged,” Helena replied. She turned to the communications station “Lt. Palmer, put me on shipwide”

“Aye, Captain” the former _Enterprise_ crewmember nodded as she turned to her console, the synthesized boatswain’s whistle ringing out throughout the ship moments later.

“Attention, this is Captain Verne,” Helena began “as some of you may know, we’re about to use the spore drive to carry more than a thousand dark matter asteroids four-point-five light-years away from this star system. Although Lt, Airiam assures me that this plan will work, there exists the very real possibility that it won’t, and we may very well all die in the attempt. That being said, I remind you all to give your best in this attempt,”

She took a breath.

“Remember, be bold, be brave, and above all, be kind,” she declared “Verne out,” as the channel closed, she leaned back in her chair “bring the Ken’t’si family up,” she ordered “it’s only fair, after all”

“Aye, sir”

“All right, Kira,” Helena sighed “it’s all on you now”

“Aye, Captain” the helmswoman grinned.

“Half impulse,” Helena ordered “put us right in the thick of it”

On the viewscreen, the thousands of asteroids silent tumbled towards the ship. Fingers flying across her console, Kira skillfully guided the _Tereshkova_ into the midst of the field, the hull ominously groaning as some of the smaller asteroids impacted the hull.

“Condition blue” Helena ordered.

“_Blue alert,_” the computer intoned as the ambient lighting changed a deep blue, klaxons blaring out in time with the flashing lights “_blue alert. All decks, set condition blue_”

“Disengaging shields”

“Careful, Kira,” Helena warned “power down the warp core and transfer warp power to structural integrity” she ordered.

“Engineering reports that the warp core has been powered down”

“_Engineering to Bridge,_” Airiam hailed “_spore density is at seventy-eight percent,_” she announced “_Captain, we’re at risk of oversaturating the induction coil_” she warned.

“Understood,” Helena called back “helm, how far away are we from the heliosphere?”

“Two minutes” Kira announced.

“Too slow. Go to full impulse” Helena ordered as the turbolift opened.

“Captain? Your…guests”

“Ah, good,” Helena beckoned the Ken’t’si over “thought you folks would like to see this” she explained as the family of four crowded around her chair.

“_Incredible_” Se’I breathed as she gapped at the viewscreen.

“_Engineering to Bridge,_” Airiam hailed “_if we’re going to do this, we’d better do it now_”

“Kira?” Helena asked.

“One-point-five minutes”

“Damn it, we’ll have to risk it,” Helena declared “status of jump protocol?”

“Jump protocol is programed in, we’re ready to jump whenever you are, Captain” the officer manning the science station announced.

“All right,” Helena huffed out a breath “let’s dance. Engage jump protocol”

“Engaging jump protocol”

The ship suddenly shuddered, the hull ominously creaking and groaning as the shudders grew in strength.

“This feels…wrong,” Helena muttered as the ship suddenly lurched, listing to one side as a bright, blinding light filled the viewscreen “report!” Helena barked out as red alert klaxons blared out.

“We’ve exited the jump!” Kira announced “but we’re too close to the star’s photosphere! Collision is imminent!”

“Outer hull temperature rising!”

“Shields up!” Helena ordered “reengage warp drive! Find me an off-ramp, Kira!”

“Gladly!” Kira called out.

“Captain! It’s working!” the science officer exclaimed “the asteroids are being drawn into the star!”

“Yes, but so are we!” Helena growled “full reverse!”

“Full reverse, aye!” Kira called out as she redirected the ship, turning the vessel a full one hundred and eighty degrees around, all the while dodging the asteroids as they tumbled to fall into the star.

“The star’s photosphere is destabilizing! A coronal mass ejection is imminent!”

“I need full power to the ventral shields!” Kira suddenly called out “give me everything you’ve got!”

“Go!” Helena ordered.

“Aye, Captain!”

“I hope you have a plan here, Kira!” Helena exclaimed.

“Just watch!” Kira grinned.

As more and more of the asteroids impacted the star’s surface, the photosphere grew more and more unstable, shimmering and roiling like a pot of water about to boil over as the _Tereshkova_ turned back towards the star, angling down as a solar flare suddenly erupted from the star, the jet of high-energy plasma striking the ship’s shields just at the same moment as Kira triggered the ventral thrusters at full.

With an almighty lurch, the ship was thrown free of the star’s gravity. Struggling to keep upright, Kira triggered the impulse engines at full, the _Tereshkova_ streaking away.

“We’re clear of the star’s gravity well”

Panting for breath, Helena absently brushed a lock of hair out of her face.

“Kira,” she began “did you just _bounce_ the ship off the surface of a star?”

“Uh, basically” Kira shrugged with a sheepish smile.

“Huh,” Helena frowned “looks like I owe you another eggplant dinner” she decided…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A 'coronal mass ejection' ('CME') is basically a giant solar flare, and often follow solar flares. They are a large release of plasma and magnetic energy from the surface of a star and can cause a geomagnetic storm if they hit a planet's magnetosphere. The 1859 solar storm (the 'Carrington event') was presumably caused by a CME. The resulting geomagnetic storm shorted out telegraph lines in the U.S. and parts of Canada, starting fires and shocking some telegraph operators (in both senses of the word)


	19. One Day...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are folks! The long-awaited ending to "The Newcomers on Evergreen Street", the second part of "The Tereshkova Adventures", so enjoy! :=)

******

“_Captain’s Log, supplemental. Encrypt log entry: Through the use of the spore drive, we’ve managed to draw a majority of dark matter asteroids away from the planet, and Astrometrics assures me that the remaining asteroids are too small to cause any significant damage to the planet’s environment, infrastructure, or inhabitants. That being said, I can’t help but feel as if we’ve opened the proverbial Pandora’s Box with our actions today. Perhaps it would’ve been better if we’d left well alone…_”

******

Evergreen Street was crowded when Helena and the Ken’t’si family beamed down, rematerializing in a wooded area up on a hill overlooking the street. Even from this distance, the group could see figures moving about as wisps of smoke curled from many homes.

Stepping onto the street proper, the group paused and looked around, taking note of what were clearly police and members of other emergency services milled about. Fires had clearly been put out overnight and order had been restored, but what drew the group’s attention were the row of bodies now resting in a neat row on the side of the street.

There were about a dozen of them, each covered with a green cloth bearing some kind of sigil or symbol, and as Helena watched, Se’I softly approached the row, drawing back one of the cloths to examine the face of body beneath.

“I knew him,” she said softly as Helena approached “he was a quiet man,” she continued “never had an ill word to say about anyone,” she shook her head in muted disbelief as she draped the cloth back over the man’s form. Looking up at Helena, she smirked humorlessly.

“We’ll never be like you, will we?” she mused “we’ll never explore the stars like your kind” she proclaimed.

“You never know,” Helena shrugged “you may, one day”

“One day,” Se’I nodded “but not today, not tomorrow, not next week. No, not for a long time”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Helena shrugged “you can start today,” she suggested “you and your family”

“How?” Se’I asked, looking up at her in confusion.

“Take a stand,” Helena suggested “challenge the status quo, change the system. Change like that doesn’t just ‘happen’; you have to work at it, to _make_ happen. My own planet went through unimaginable hardships before we finally reached the stars. Our own successes wouldn’t have been possible without the sacrifices and struggles of those who came before us. There’s a saying my people have: _’we make our own fate’_. and that’s what you need to do, Se’I, make your own fate, make a better future, a better world for your children, for their children” she encouraged.

Se’I nodded slowly.

“Yes,” she began “I think I understand, we—all of us—must fight against injustice, not just soldiers and governments, but ordinary people as well. To ensure that our children will grow up, happy and safe”

“Yes,” Helena nodded “exactly” she smiled as her communicator beeped once, signaling that she should beam up as soon as possible. Looking down at her belt, Helena smirked.

“I guess you’ll be going now” Se’I remarked.

“Yes” Helena nodded.

“Thank you, Captain,” Se’I said “for showing us that there is more to the universe than we thought”

“You’re welcome” Helena smiled.

“And, Captain?” Se’I called as Helena turned to leave “whatever your law says about not interfering, you saved my people. Remember that, please?”

“I will,” Helena nodded “goodbye, Se’I”

“Goodbye” Ch’I’k added as he and his sons joined Se’I, pulling her close as they all raised their hands in farewell as Helena walked away, rounding the corner and, ensuring that she wasn’t being seen, beamed back aboard the ship…

******

“_Once more, Captain, you’re absolutely certain that the disaster could have been avoided if a more in-depth survey of the system had been done prior to the_ Buran’s_arrival?_” Commodore DuBois asked.

“That’s what my crew tells me” Helena nodded.

“_And you Captain Wells? You take full responsibility for the various violations of the Prime Directive?_” the Commodore asked.

Standing beside Helena, Captain Julius Wells of the U.S.S. _Buran_ nodded.

“I do,” he answered “I fully admit that I overruled Captain Verne and ordered her to find a way to save the planet and its inhabitants,” he explained “for which I apologize, it was wrong and not only a violation of the Prime Directive but also disrespectful to Captain Verne and her crew. I fully agree to submit and abide by any ruling of a board of inquiry, Commodore”

“_That board of inquiry has yet to be convened, Captain,_” Commodore DuBois pointed out “_but rest assured it will be, and _both of you_may be brought before it to answer to any charges,_” she sighed and leaned back in her seat, tiredly rubbing at her temple “_that being said,_” she began “_speaking strictly off the record, I probably would have done the same thing in your positions,_” she admitted “_and I doubt that a board of inquiry would rule against you on that count,_” she sighed as leaned forwards, resting her arms on the desk before her “_what about the_ Buran_? Any chance of salvaging her?_”

“My engineers say no, but we’ll tractor her back to starbase for further assessment” Helena replied.

The Commodore nodded.

“_Very well,_” she replied “_finally, on a personal note, the next time I call you, Helena, I had better not hear the words ‘violated the Prime Directive’ from you. Ami I clear?_?”

“Crystal” Helena nodded.

Commodore DuBois looked doubtful as she nodded slowly.

“_Good,_” she finally said “_DuBois out_”

******

The wreckage of the _Buran_ under tow, the _Tereshkova_ slipped away from the GH-42-459 system at half-impulse, unable to use the spore drive owing to both having expended their current supply of spores as well as the excess mass of the _Buran_. Standing by the viewport, watching the planet slowly recede, Helena sighed as she absently sipped her tea.

They had indeed opened Pandora’s Box she decided; the Ven’ta would undoubtedly discover that their near-miss had had some otherworldly assistance. Maybe not today, maybe not for decades, centuries even, but they _would_ find out at some point, and how that knowledge would shape and change their culture and society was anyone’s guess.

But, Helena also recalled the expressions of hope and optimism on the faces of the Ken’t’si family, the knowledge that they had been granted a second chance had clearly strengthened their convictions to change their world for the better for their children’s sake, to aspire to be like the visitors that they had met, and perhaps, that singular event would shape the path that their species as a whole would take.

Perhaps, just perhaps, they would aspire to be more than what they were; they would aspire to reach the stars, to explore, to discover, to go where no one had gone before.

Smiling at that thought, Helena straightened up and, glimpsing the last of the planet before it completely disappeared from her view, she softly touched her lips and blew a kiss towards the image, sending all her best wishes and hopes in that one gesture.

Because hope, after all, was what the Federation had been built on. The hopes and dreams of dozens of species across dozens of worlds. And it was in that hope that Helena dreamed of one day coming back to this particular world, of returning to make proper first contact, perhaps with the decedents’ of the Ken’t’si.

She dreamed of that scenario that night, as she lay in her bunk. Hoped for it. Because without hope, without the possibility that there was something more, the human race would have gone extinct a long time ago. And it was only in cultivating hope, nurturing it, that the Federation could keep going.

Hope was made the universe turn, nothing more, nothing less…

**END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it! We're done! :=). Personally, I'm not too happy with how this one turned out, a lot of background material got left on the drawing board, and this is probably one of those fics where I'll go back at some point and flush it out with some more details. Still, I hope everyone at least enjoyed the ride and I hope that you'll all keep an eye out for the next installment of the adventures of Captain Helena Verne and her crew! So stay turned and thanks to everyone for reading, commenting, and leaving kudos :=).
> 
> Thanks again! :=)
> 
> \--AXEe :=)

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you thought :=)


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